All signs point to 44-year-old Philip Rivers starting for the Indianapolis Colts in his first NFL game since the 2020 season Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
While the Colts and their fan base didn't have that on their bingo card this season, it's the reality after Daniel Jones sustained a season-ending Achilles injury and as rookie Riley Leonard deals with a knee ailment this week.
Rivers joins a Colts team gunning for an AFC playoffs seed, sitting one game back of the AFC South lead behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, who they lost to in Week 14. As it stands today, the Colts are No. 8 in the AFC, and only seven teams make it from each conference.
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So, while some doubt Rivers, the 17-year vet who ranks seventh in all-time NFL passing yards, can get the job done for Indy, one of his receivers from the 2020 season believes he can.
Michael Pittman Jr.'s first NFL quarterback was Rivers after he joined the Colts during the 2020 season, when the signal-caller led the team to an 11-5 record. After seeing him back in the building this week, Pittman couldn't help but describe Rivers as someone who still has "that same fire."
"Phil is the same guy," Pittman said, while discussing his partnership with Oral-B, the official toothbrush of the NFL. "I really don't notice much difference from our 2020 season, and he's fired up. He's ready to go. So, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't really think anybody does, but we're going to be ready for whatever transpires."
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It makes sense Rivers would have his fair share of doubters. He hasn't seen NFL action in five seasons, and he was never the most mobile quarterback anyway, which he joked about during his media session Wednesday.
But Pittman believes football fans are overlooking a key aspect of this. Colts head coach Shane Steichen's offense was born with the San Diego Chargers before they moved to LA.
"When you look back at it, Philip really helped invent this offensive scheme if you go back to Shane's history and when he was a young coach," Pittman explained, referencing Steichen's six years as the Chargers' quarterbacks coach alongside Rivers. "He really came up in that same offense Philip has been running his entire career.
"If we're going to go get a guy, and that's what people are overlooking. This offense was made by Philip Rivers, so that's why he's one of the perfect guys to go out and get. His mind is so sharp, and he's still got that same fire."
Rivers' cerebral processing on the field has always been stout, which is why he lasted so long in the league. But that internal drive and hunger for competition is what Pittman is also seeing early on in practice.
"He said the word 'stinkin''probably 100 times when he was giving his speech, and I could just tell that he really cares," Pittman said, laughing. "He wouldn't reset his Hall of Fame if he didn't really, really care about this."
Of course, Rivers' patented "Dadgummit!" isn't what Pittman wants to hear over the next four games if the Colts play him at quarterback. It was something Pittman admitted hearing a lot his rookie year, but he's developed into the talent many thought he would be in the NFL.
We'll see if the Colts make it official later this week, but Pittman couldn't be more confident in Rivers if he gets the call.
PERFECT CLEAN, PERFECT GAME
Pittman teamed up with Oral-B, which was recently named the official toothbrush of the NFL, and he shot some fun content with beloved Colts mascot Blue.
Pittman and Blue were trying to get their pearly whites clean with the new iO Series Electric Toothbrush, and though Blue is known for his moving belly during games, he had a giant set of teeth to get right before the game as well.
As someone who never strays from his game day routine, it starts with brushing his teeth before anything else in the morning.
"The smile is everything," Pittman said. "Oral-B being the official toothbrush of the NFL, I just felt like it was a perfect partner because they give you the perfect clean so you can play the perfect game with their IO Series toothbrush they just came out with. It does all the work for you, so it couldn't be easier."
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